What are a bunch of sewists to do while forced to stay home? Sewcialize on the internet, of course!
We are starting a new hashtag and series #SewStayHome to help bring the community together through these uncertain and stressful times with COVID-19. Many of us are engaged in social distancing by staying at home, and it can feel like the world is turned upside down. We hope that chatting to each other and focusing on our love of sewing will help ease anxiety, panic, and loneliness.
We are in this together. On the Sewcialists team alone, we have sick parents and children, immunocompromised people at high risk, folks stranded far from home, people worried about finances, people still working and others on enforced breaks. We have people who have been in COVID lockdown for weeks already, and those with family in hotspot areas. We don’t have the answers, but we’ll do our best to ask good questions and share helpful resources!
How can you join in? Start by following the hashtag #SewStayHome on Instagram, and tag your own posts with it. Connect with other people and cheer them on! In the coming weeks we’ll have specific #SewStayHome posts here on the blog in addition to our regular content, and lots of discussion on Instagram.
For now, let us know in the comments what topics would be helpful to you right now! How can we support the sewing community through our collective time of need?
I was thinking of linking to posts that are already out there about low cost sewing solutions – scrap busting, refashioning etc. But also ideas on how to engage children in crafting endeavors – doesn’t have to be sewing, but making your own slime, play doh, making paints and experimenting etc. I am planning a deep clean on my sewing machines rather than taking them to the dealer – well, hopefully, as I have not done this before! I know it is taking money away from a small business but that small business is 90 minutes away and I wouldn’t be going to a big center anyway, so its worth a try.
Awesome hashtag – I find myself with more time for social media now days!
I think all those ideas sound awesome! We’re hoping to community-source ideas for kids and “sewing with what you have” – if you feel like gathering ideas, maybe you’d email us with some we can share? Sewcialists@gmail.com <3
Sure! I have to finish up some work first but will look at that the beginning of next week 🙂
I did a lot of sewing with my kids when they were little! I also had them designing their projects and making patterns.My son made a jet pack and bedroll for his toy dragon, and my daughter–well, she went past what I had to teach her by the time she was 10 and now she teaches me things…
Anyway, the things little kids imagine to make are totally scrapbusters, and it’s pretty easy to turn their drawings into patterns with a bit of seam allowance.
Thank you for doing this. All you Sewcialists are *awesome*. xo
It’s the most surreal time right now. I’m so glad the community is pulling together! I feel bad for people who don’t have a community like ours!
The big thing to sew in my country right now is face mask. 1. there is a shortage of medical grade ones, so sterilizable cotton ones are being used in some places now. 2. by wearing mask we protect others. Covid has 2 week incubation phase, so one might be spitting disease around unknowingly for quite some time and this helps slow the spread.
The basic how-to is simple: pleat 20×20 cm (8″x8″) piece of fabric (#sewtheprecious?) and sew on straps (bias strips work great) or elastic. freesewing.org also has a great (free) pattern.
We’ve got a post about this planned – what works, what doesn’t work, according to our own PhD Scientist, Emilia!
I know this is a specialized request but…could you leave comments here on the blog open for a bit longer? I can’t be the only one who’s not on instagram and would like to be in the conversation. I was excited about the “sewing to make ends meet” theme and I feel I have a lot to say about it, but since I don’t do instagram and it seems to be required to apply for writing a post, I didn’t. I’d love to join in a back-and-forth conversation, but it seems like comments close after a week or maybe even less?–so every conversation dies so quickly!
Hi Lucy! Let me double check our settings! We are still accepting submissions for the post, so email us 2-3 paragraphs at Sewcialists@gmail.com, and we’ll add it to our community post that will likely come up in the next month. (You don’t have to apply, we accept all submissions.) Cheers!
Could I ask a related question: have you considered setting up a Discord, as a more chatty/informal space for people to connect through?
I say this because, I’m feeling very critical atm about how contemporary social media makes it harder to build community. For example, if I make an instagram and tag my posts, it puts me into a competitive space rather than a collaborative one, one where I’ll only get interactions with other people if my work is beautiful (and then, those actions will probably just be a “like”). I don’t really want to compete with others for attention to my work, but I would like to make friends & connections in a more informal way.
A Discord channel is one option, but there are maybe others too.
I so agree. I would love for the Sewcialists to explore alternative social media channels. I prefer not to tell FB or Instagram much as I don’t like the way they behave as a company with our data. This would be a place where a thoughtful channel like the Sewcialists could lead the way.
Totally agree.
Very little sewing when working from home and teaching grade school kids at the same time… but good luck and here is to everyone’s health!
Oof, you’ve got my empathy! I”m an elementary teacher by day, usually, and i’ve been thinking a lot about how all my students and their parents are coping at home! <3
We miss you! We can’t do the teaching of the little ones…
Great idea, thank you.
Socializing on the internet is good. To answer the question while forced to stay at home – I’m going to SEW!
One possitive thing I can say this whole COVID situation has brought upon us is the internet connections people are making, especially on Instagram. I have seen david Bednau just video chatting with random people on IG and other celebrities too. Back at home in Puerto Rico, artists are giving out live concerts and just interacting with people! Maybe we could do this too. Just open up a live on instagram and chat a little with different people on the feed. I have enjoyed watching this with David Begnau, so maybe it could work for us too.
Stay safe everyone.
I’ve been thinking about making masks, but local health institutions don’t seem to be asking for them. But I was thinking about farmworkers tonight-they usually commute in groups, and they’re as essential as any workers are, and the conditions they work in can be pretty hazardous to the respiratory system in ordinary times, and wildfire season is coming! So I’m thinking about how to do this…